44-751: H.R. Owen is a luxury motor retailer in Britain, and one of the world's largest retailers in Rolls-Royce , Bentley , Ferrari , Aston Martin , Maserati , Lamborghini and Bugatti brands. The company is headquartered in London , and operates 18 sales franchises and 17 aftersales franchises. H.R. Owen runs the busiest Bugatti showroom in the United Kingdom, and the world's oldest Bentley showroom: Jack Barclay also located in Mayfair. Expending its London operations it opened
88-616: A management buyout and Richard Shops to Habitat , keeping only the core department store business. In January 1986, Hanson bought SCM , an American chemicals to typewriters business, which included the paper division that was formerly the Allied Paper Corporation . Hanson promptly sold most of the SCM business units and the headquarters building in New York City for a significant profit. Hanson's most significant single purchase
132-506: A superlative ." The company's line of vehicles includes the Phantom , a four-door saloon first offered in 2003 as well as its extended wheelbase two-door coupé and convertible variants; the smaller Ghost four-door saloon; Wraith two-door coupé; Dawn convertible; the Cullinan SUV, and the 2023 Spectre , the first all-electric Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was created as
176-485: A Rolls-Royce retailer, while Jack Barclay of Berkeley Square remains the world's largest Bentley dealer. In 2004 the H.R. Owen group sold its Volkswagen and the majority of its BMW brand dealerships to their respective manufacturers. A year later the firm was appointed official UK dealer for Bugatti and by 2008 became the world's largest Bugatti dealer. The company was quoted on the London Stock Exchange under
220-723: A brain tumour. Following Harold Owen's death, the H.R. Owen business was bought by Percy Fritz Swain, who reopened the business in 1946 on the old location in Berkeley Street. An astute trader, Swain began to build a larger motor empire, buying up retailers as well as coachbuilders and suppliers. On the death of A.J. Webb in 1955, Swain bought coach builder Freestone and Webb . The post-war years were not kind to independent coachbuilders as prestige manufacturers such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce were obliged by advances such as monocoque construction (finally adopted in 1965 for their Silver Shadow and T-series cars) to shift from supplying only
264-599: A new Rolls-Royce administrative headquarters and production facility on the Goodwood Estate near Chichester , West Sussex , and develop the Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce from the new company. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited became the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce branded cars in 2003. Rolls-Royce announced in September 2014 that a new technology and logistics centre would be built, which opened in 2016, 8 miles away from
308-469: A pension top-up of £636,700). In May 2007, HeidelbergCement announced its intent to purchase Hanson Plc for £11 per share, which valued it at approximately £8 billion. This deal made the combined company the second largest cement and building materials company in the world. The transaction was completed through Heidelberg subsidiary Lehigh UK on 22 August 2007. In December 2014, Heidelberg Cement agreed to sell its Hanson Building Products division to
352-425: A polo-player made him welcome at society house parties. This gave him many useful sales contacts when he joined Rolls-Royce and Bentley retailer Jack Barclay in 1927, becoming general manager a short while later. Harold Owen and Jack Barclay parted company amicably five years later when the former decided to start out on his own in motor retailing – though the two names would be linked once again 68 years later, when
396-671: A relationship between HR Owen and Aston Martin for the first time. In September 2013, H.R. Owen was the subject of a takeover by Malaysian investment group Berjaya Group , who paid £43.2 million for the company, becoming its majority shareholders. Then in 2016, the Berjaya Group, led by its founder Vincent Tan , fully acquired H.R. Owen for an additional £149.8m. The Group operates retail outlets in London, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Manchester, which includes fourteen sales franchises and thirteen aftersales franchises for
440-470: A series of protests around the over-riding of the local authority's opposition to extend quarrying by the Minister of Climate Change, Julie James. This successful appeal will allow a further 15.7 million tonnes of rock to be extracted for road surfacing and runways. The quarry operations will continue until 2047 and will come within 164 meters of schools and housing as well as destroying a community green space and
484-513: A wholly owned subsidiary of BMW in 1998 after BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from Rolls-Royce Holdings plc , and acquired the rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks from Volkswagen AG . Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited has been manufacturing Rolls-Royce branded cars since 2003. Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use since 1906,
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#1733084979929528-646: A wide range of measures to maximise value, including mass redundancies , and therefore attracted opposition and accusations that they were asset strippers . From 1979, the company was successful from the shareholders' point of view and respected during the early 1980s; Hanson (who donated millions of pounds to the Conservatives ) was given a life peerage by Britain's then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher , in June 1983. It has been alleged that Hanson benefitted from political favouritism that may have swayed decisions made by
572-524: Is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors and various other predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and 2003, when the BMW-controlled entity started producing cars under the Rolls-Royce brand. The BBC called Rolls-Royce "probably one of the most recognised icons in the world", and that "the name Rolls-Royce entered the English language as
616-579: The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC). One of the most notable takeovers, at least to the general public, was the acquisition in 1983, of the United Drapery Stores (otherwise known as UDS Group ), which owned many of Britain's most well known high street clothes shops and department stores, including John Collier , Richard Shops and the chain of Allders department stores. To fund this purchase, Hanson broke up UDS and sold John Collier via
660-584: The 18-year-old Captain Owen was badly injured in a crash, spending a week in a coma. It was almost a year before he could walk again, but after the war was over he returned to uniform, joining the Indian Army. Owen subsequently served for some years abroad, principally at Bombay, Karachi and Aden, before returning to Britain and beginning work at the National Benzole Company . A keen sportsman, Owen's skill as
704-455: The Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Rolls-Royce marques. 51°30′08″N 0°09′22″W / 51.5021543°N 0.1559938°W / 51.5021543; -0.1559938 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as
748-588: The Middle East with sales increases of 47 percent, 30 percent and 23 percent respectively. In 2014, the company designed a silver coloured Rolls-Royce-themed Paddington Bear statue—"The Spirit of Paddington"—which was located in Berkeley Square Gardens (one of fifty located around London prior to the release of the film Paddington ), which was auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for
792-646: The Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Hanson Trust Heidelberg Materials UK is a British -based building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead . Previously known as Hanson UK , the company has been a subsidiary of the German company HeidelbergCement since August 2007, and was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . Originally trading as Wiles Group ;
836-477: The Rolls-Royce brand identification marks split between the two companies and Volkswagen's engine supply in jeopardy, the two companies entered into negotiations. Volkswagen agreed to sell BMW the Spirit of Ecstasy and grille shape trademarks and BMW agreed to continue supplying engines and components until 2003. Volkswagen continued to produce Rolls-Royce branded vehicles between 1998 and 2003. This gave BMW time to build
880-411: The Rolls-Royce name and logo to BMW AG for £40 million ($ 66 million), because Rolls-Royce plc had recently had joint business ventures with BMW. BMW's contract to supply engines and components to Rolls-Royce Motors allowed BMW to cancel the contract with 12 months' notice. Volkswagen would be unable to re-engineer the Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles to use other engines within that time frame. With
924-612: The United Kingdoms flagship Ferrari Showroom in Mayfair attracting customers from around the world and displaying a selection of the worlds most sort after vehicles. In 2021, HR Owen CEO, Ken Choo, announced to the world the £30m project for a groundbreaking expansion to its retailers by opening the UK's most luxurious Bentley , Lamborghini and Maserati retailers at the recently acquired five-acre site in Hatfield. Ferrari named H.R. Owen as
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#1733084979929968-679: The best Ferrari retailer in the world in 2014 after the business scored the maximum number of points in all of the judging categories. Then, in 2018, H.R. Owen's Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London showroom was awarded Global Dealer of the Year by Rolls-Royce. Harold Rolfe Owen was born in Yorkshire on 6 November 1899, and served in the Royal Flying Corps in World War I . Serving in Northern France in 1917
1012-538: The biggest takeover in British history at that point. In October 1991, Hanson opted to not proceed with the deal. During September 1991, Hanson acquired Beazer , a major British housebuilder, in exchange for $ 609 million. Two years later, it also purchased a portion of the Watt Housing Corporation under a £116 million (£76 million) deal. During the mid-1990s, conglomerates were falling out of favour with
1056-506: The chassis and drivetrain of a vehicle to building the complete car, bodywork and all. With Freestone and Webb's main chassis supplier relationship coming to an end, the coachbuilding business continued to refurbish and build bodies until 1958, when it became only a name for a showroom. In October 1959 Swain sold the Rolls-Royce and Bentley distributorships and the allied service function to The Provincial Traction Company having previously sold H.R. Owen's other operations which he had put under
1100-429: The company focused on building materials. By December 1999, Hanson had become the world's biggest aggregates supplier and the second largest supplier of ready-mixed concrete. In November 1999, Hanson acquired Australian building materials business Pioneer International . In early 2002, Dougal parted ways with Hanson, leaving with a controversially large pay-off (variously reported at between £400,000 and £660,000, plus
1144-554: The company in January 2010, with a pledge to regain the quality standards that made Rolls-Royce famous. That year sales in China increased by 600%, making it the company's second largest market after the US. On October 5, 2023, Rolls-Royce announced that Müller-Ötvös will be retiring as CEO on November 30 after 14 years. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, the current CEO of BMW UK, who will become
1188-550: The company was transformed into Hanson Trust Ltd by James Hanson and Gordon White in 1964. Over a thirty year period, Hanson pursued a principal strategy of raising shareholder value through a series of acquisitions . Several large businesses were purchased throughout the 1980s, such as the United Drapery Stores in 1983, Imperial Tobacco in 1986 and Kidde in 1987. Some of these acquisitions drew criticism and opposition. During 1991, Hanson Plc attempted its largest-yet acquisition of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), but this
1232-402: The company's new CEO on December 1, 2023. Müller-Ötvös was the company's longest serving CEO to date. In 1998, Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. The most likely buyer was BMW, which already supplied engines and other components for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, but BMW's final offer of £340 million was beaten by Volkswagen's £430 million ($ 703 million). A stipulation in
1276-675: The exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce -branded motor cars. The company's administrative and production headquarters are located on the 42-acre (17 ha) Goodwood Estate in Goodwood , West Sussex , England, United Kingdom. From 1906 to 2003, motor cars were manufactured and marketed under the Rolls-Royce brand by Rolls-Royce Limited and Rolls-Royce Motors . The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship to Rolls-Royce -branded vehicles produced before 2003, other than having briefly supplied components and engines. The Bentley Motors Limited subsidiary of Volkswagen AG
1320-529: The fate of the brand diverged between 1998 and 2003. In 2003, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG, which had been a major supplier to the brand up to 2003, began manufacturing vehicles with the Rolls-Royce name. Volkswagen AG took ownership of the Bentley name as well as previous Rolls-Royce production facilities and previous Rolls-Royce designs. Former chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös joined
1364-604: The investment community. Some of the manufacturing businesses were spun off as US Industries in February 1995. In January 1996, Hanson ended its time as a diversified conglomerate by breaking itself up into four separate listed companies: Hanson plc, Imperial Tobacco , The Energy Group and Millennium Chemicals . This restructuring had reportedly cost the group £95 million in professional fees by August 1996. During December 1997, Lord Hanson stepped down as chairman. Led by Andrew Dougal , chief executive from 1997 until 2002,
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1408-468: The main headquarters, in the seaside resort town of Bognor Regis . The all-time high record of sales (beginning in 2005) was achieved in 2023, at 6,032 cars, topping 2022 sales by 11 cars. In 2011, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited sold 3,538 cars, an increase of 31 percent compared to 2010, beating the previous sales record from 1978. The strong sales growth occurred in the Asia Pacific region, Britain and
1452-553: The mid-1980s, giving its backing to the successful British Government-backed bidder for the British aerospace firm Westland Helicopters . In mid 1987, the firm acquired the American consumer products group Kidde at a cost of $ 1.7 billion; during October of that year, Black Monday hit and stock valuations plunged, leading to criticism that Hanson had allegedly overpaid for Kidde. In November 1988, Hanson bought Consolidated Gold Fields in exchange for £3.5 billion. The Gold Survey
1496-622: The name of coachbuilders Harold Radford to a City syndicate led by Radford. The syndicate sold those operations to Provincial Traction in March 1961. Ten years later in 1969 Provincial Traction joined the Wiles Group which was later renamed Hanson Trust . Just over twelve months after that Hanson exchanged it with Lex which almost immediately passed it on to Heron Holdings . H.R. Owen remained within Gerald Ronson's Heron Group for almost 25 years. It
1540-449: The ownership documents of Rolls-Royce dictated that Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, the aero-engine maker, would retain certain essential trademarks, including the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo if the automotive division was sold. Although Vickers plc sold the vehicle designs, nameplates, administrative headquarters, production facilities, Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks to Volkswagen AG, Rolls-Royce plc chose to license
1584-411: The private equity firm Lone Star for £900 million. During 2023, Hanson was reportedly planning the construction of a new carbon capture facility that was aimed at reducing the emissions from their Padeswood cement works . The British government chose Hanson, along with other companies, to present progress plans for carbon reduction solutions. In October 2023, the company announced that it
1628-417: The second largest cement and building materials company in the world. In October 2023, the company announced that it was rebranding as Heidelberg Materials . Originally known as Hanson Trust plc, the company was built up by James Hanson, later Lord Hanson , and Gordon White, later Baron White of Hull , who created Hanson Trust out of the former Wiles Group in 1964. Hanson and White were willing to take
1672-674: The securities code HRO.L. In early 2011, as part of a new alliance with Ferrari, the company opened a flagship Ferrari 'Atelier' in London's Knightsbridge , where potential customers can customise their new car. In August of that year HR Owen announced the acquisition of Broughtons of Cheltenham, a smaller luxury motor dealer, for an enterprise value of £2.8 million. Broughtons owned three Bentley franchises in Cheltenham , Pangbourne and Byfleet (strengthening HR Owen's relationship with Bentley) and an Aston Martin franchise in Cheltenham, forging
1716-494: The two companies bearing their names were reunited. The new H.R. Owen Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealership opened in Mayfair's Berkeley Street in February 1932 and continued trading until the outbreak of war, when luxury car retailing came to an enforced halt. Harold Owen fully intended to resume the motor retail business post-war, but he fell ill when on tank manoeuvres with his regiment, the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, and died 17 February 1940, following an emergency operation to remove
1760-490: Was bought by Malaya Group plc in 1994 then under the leadership of Nicholas Lancaster. In 1997, on the 65th anniversary of H.R. Owen's foundation, Malaya Group changed its name to H.R. Owen plc. In 2000 the group bought Jack Barclay, thus becoming the world's largest dealer for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. Although the two brands were split at manufacturer level in 1998 between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (bought by BMW Group), and Bentley ( Volkswagen Group ), H.R. Owen continues as
1804-498: Was hotly contested and ultimately unsuccessful. By the start of the 1990s, Hanson Plc had become a sizable conglomerate and one of the largest firms based in Britain. However, amid negative perceptions of the conglomerate model, the company was reorganised into four separate listed firms during the mid 1990s, these being: Hanson plc, Imperial Tobacco , The Energy Group and Millennium Chemicals . In 2007, HeidelbergCement purchased Hanson Plc in exchange for £8 billion to create
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1848-418: Was probably its takeover of Imperial Tobacco Group in 1986. Hanson paid £2.5 billion for the group then undertook a major reorganisation; divestitures netted £2.3 billion, leaving Hanson with the hugely profitable tobacco business for "next to nothing." Hanson sold off the food brand, Golden Wonder , to Dalgety plc in 1986. Hanson was also involved in the politically charged Westland affair of
1892-555: Was rebranding as Heidelberg Materials , as part as a branding rationalisation by its parent company. The principal markets of Heidelberg Materials UK are the major conurbations in England and Wales and the central belt of Scotland . The company supplies heavy building materials such as ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and cement to the UK construction industry. In March 2024, residents of Glyncoch, near Pontypridd in South Wales, started
1936-502: Was taken on by a new company, now known as GFMS . During mid 1991, the company attempted to acquire Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), a business that was once viewed by many in Britain as the nation's leading company but was by then in decline. Hanson had acquired a 2.8 per cent stake in the company as part of its hostile takeover attempt, which ICI's management team chose to oppose. The envisioned acquisition became hotly contested and controversial, partially as it would have been
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